I am wary of any sentence that begins with, “There are three types of people.” But sometimes a one-word “type” is a great shorthand for defining ourselves.
So here goes: There are three types of people: explainers, elucidators, and enchanters.
That sentence is my extrapolation from an observation about three different kinds of writers by Maria Popova in The Marginalian. Even if you’re not a writer, I suspect you present the story of you to the world in your unique way, and perhaps you recognize yourself as an explainer, an elucidator, or an enchanter. I know I do!
One thing I love about this is that our team at Refuge has all three types of storytellers. Leon Shombana and I are enchanters. If you’ve ever taken Leon’s Chai Workshop or had a conversation with him, you know that’s true. Maybe that’s why we “get” each other despite our vast differences in culture, ethnicity, and personal histories. But both Leon and I are fully aware that we need the explainers and elucidators to tell the whole story of Refuge, to unfold it into reality.
This categorization isn’t just about helping us become fully realized human beings, although that’s a good start. It’s about the way we contribute life and blessing to our fellow humans. No matter how much you know of your own distinct way of telling your story, I believe these further simplifications are important:
- BE who you are.
- Intentionally BE WITH the other two types and learn to appreciate the ways their gifts complete your gift of yourself to the world.
- BE who you are for the sake of others.
I hope that provided you with a little “aha!” moment of self-reflection today! And if it piqued your interest, I hope you’ll read more on the subject.
What storyteller type are you? I’d love to know!
More on the Subject
Of course, pristine categories don’t tell the whole story. They usually prompt more questions than answers. They sometimes make it easier for us to put others in a box and dismiss them rather than enjoy or appreciate them. But they are useful, I think.
I remember talking about the Enneagram in the car with a friend and my mom. In the middle of a really great conversation, my mom piped up, “I’m just not self-absorbed enough for those tests.”
I admit I was influenced by this perspective, having heard it my entire life. But my husband used to quote, “Know yourself to lead yourself,” giving purpose to self-knowledge. I slowly began to see that I needed to know myself to serve others. If you immediately thought, “I’m an _____________,” I’m glad. That is a good, good thing.
The danger of tidy categories is that they can lead in two unhealthy directions: the comparison game or the derision game.
It’s easy for me to move from appreciation of the other methods of storytelling to beating myself up for not telling the story that way. Why can’t I pay better attention to detail? Why can’t I get to the point more directly? Why am I so easily distracted by the next story my current one reminds me to tell? Ack, I wish I could be more like my explainer and elucidator friends!
OR I can be so married to my way that I cannot abide the way others tell the same story. Don’t they see the poetry in this? What, numbers again!? Why do we have to go over this information again? Boring! Why does that person have to question everything?
For me, at least, the second simplification is necessary if I am going to BE in the world telling a redemptive, hopeful story:
- Intentionally BE WITH the other two types and learn to appreciate the ways their gifts complete your gift of yourself to the world.
We need the explainers, the elucidators, and the enchanters to tell and to hear the story as fully as possible!
Enchantingly yours,
Kitti
P.S. The photo above features our friend and children’s book author, Nayera Salem, and our favorite artist and muralist, Teresa Abboud. Both Nayera and Teresa will be at our Spring Market on April 27!
